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all over the world, most often in the remote, inaccessible parts of the planet of
inborn communities, e.g. the native populations of the Arctic Circle, small villages
in Tibet and those who live in the Sahara or on remote islands in the Pacific. These
communities survive only by understanding and adapting to the natural systems
around them, designing the ways of life that best communicate with these natural
systems (Goleman 2010). Modern societies will be forced to reacquire knowledge
and ecological intelligence in order to preserve human civilisations. It is the wisdom
and ability to adapt to our ecological niche so as to inflict as little damage as possible and relive sustainably (Goleman 2010; Orr 1992).
This wisdom of knowledge is required for Environmental Citizenship and as
such should be within the focus of Education for Environmental Citizenship.
Citizens are made in a long and complex process of political socialization through
education, media and popular culture (Cao 2015). An Environmental Citizen
requires the knowledge of holistic and fundamental aspects of environmental sciences (Hay 2002). These sciences investigate the relationships and interactions of
living organisms with other living organisms and their surrounding physical environment (adaptations on the habitat conditions). Environmental science is a diverse
and complex field that involves all living or non-living things, including physical,
chemical and other natural forces. It also includes various habitat conditions where
living organisms (biota) find and fulfil their requirements and consists of two components (biotic and abiotic). The term ‘ecosystem’ describes the ensemble of interactions within the environment in a systematic way (Scholz 2011). The system
boundary of an ecosystem can be established by an observer in order to emphasise
on specific aspects of an ecosystem, e.g. the whole Earth or a single drop of water
(Sachs 1995).
Over the last few decades, the concept of Environmental Citizenship, as an intersection between environment, civil society and the state, has gained prominence in
the domain of both environmental policy and academia (Dean 2001). Despite the
widespread use in various arenas, this concept still remains a rather vague aggregation of two similarly elusive and contested concepts – environment and
citizenship.
Depending on a particular context, Environmental Citizenship is treated as a theoretical ideal-type, a normative concept, a practical tool or even a practice that
should be studied upon. The concept becomes even more complex when
Environmental Citizenship is observed in relation to the opposing political traditions
(liberal, republican, cosmopolitan) or environmental discourses (eco- modernization,
ecofeminist, radical ecology, etc.) (Barry 2006; Hay 2002; Valencia Saiz
2005; Hannigan 2014; Cao 2015).
Indeed, a distinction between Environmental Citizenship, as a liberal and reformist articulation of the relationship between citizens and the environment, can be
distinguished from the more radical ecological citizenship (Dobson 2003; Cao
2015). Environmental Citizenship can also be defined as ‘pro-environmental behaviour’ in public and private, driven by a belief in fairness of the distribution of
environmental goods, participation and co-creation of sustainability policy (Dobson
M. Smederevac-Lalic et al.
all over the world, most often in the remote, inaccessible parts of the planet of
inborn communities, e.g. the native populations of the Arctic Circle, small villages
in Tibet and those who live in the Sahara or on remote islands in the Pacific. These
communities survive only by understanding and adapting to the natural systems
around them, designing the ways of life that best communicate with these natural
systems (Goleman 2010). Modern societies will be forced to reacquire knowledge
and ecological intelligence in order to preserve human civilisations. It is the wisdom
and ability to adapt to our ecological niche so as to inflict as little damage as possible and relive sustainably (Goleman 2010; Orr 1992).
This wisdom of knowledge is required for Environmental Citizenship and as
such should be within the focus of Education for Environmental Citizenship.
Citizens are made in a long and complex process of political socialization through
education, media and popular culture (Cao 2015). An Environmental Citizen
requires the knowledge of holistic and fundamental aspects of environmental sciences (Hay 2002). These sciences investigate the relationships and interactions of
living organisms with other living organisms and their surrounding physical environment (adaptations on the habitat conditions). Environmental science is a diverse
and complex field that involves all living or non-living things, including physical,
chemical and other natural forces. It also includes various habitat conditions where
living organisms (biota) find and fulfil their requirements and consists of two components (biotic and abiotic). The term ‘ecosystem’ describes the ensemble of interactions within the environment in a systematic way (Scholz 2011). The system
boundary of an ecosystem can be established by an observer in order to emphasise
on specific aspects of an ecosystem, e.g. the whole Earth or a single drop of water
(Sachs 1995).
Over the last few decades, the concept of Environmental Citizenship, as an intersection between environment, civil society and the state, has gained prominence in
the domain of both environmental policy and academia (Dean 2001). Despite the
widespread use in various arenas, this concept still remains a rather vague aggregation of two similarly elusive and contested concepts – environment and
citizenship.
Depending on a particular context, Environmental Citizenship is treated as a theoretical ideal-type, a normative concept, a practical tool or even a practice that
should be studied upon. The concept becomes even more complex when
Environmental Citizenship is observed in relation to the opposing political traditions
(liberal, republican, cosmopolitan) or environmental discourses (eco- modernization,
ecofeminist, radical ecology, etc.) (Barry 2006; Hay 2002; Valencia Saiz
2005; Hannigan 2014; Cao 2015).
Indeed, a distinction between Environmental Citizenship, as a liberal and reformist articulation of the relationship between citizens and the environment, can be
distinguished from the more radical ecological citizenship (Dobson 2003; Cao
2015). Environmental Citizenship can also be defined as ‘pro-environmental behaviour’ in public and private, driven by a belief in fairness of the distribution of
environmental goods, participation and co-creation of sustainability policy (Dobson
M. Smederevac-Lalic et al.